Nigeria's Democracy And It's Crisis; Deliberate, Avoidable: Government steps up search for school girls abducted by Boko-Haram terrorists

"Mothers weep after their daughters were kidnapped by Boko-Haram terrorists in Borno State, Nigeria. Photo: Google

About 110 schoolgirls were recently abducted by Boko-Haram terrorists in North-East Nigeria. Boko-Haram which means "western education is forbidden" has a history of abducting young girls especially school girls putting their education at risk.

 According to reports, Boko-Haram has killed more than 20,000 people and forced more than two million to flee from their homes putting lives and food security at risk. President Muhammadu Buhari's promise to crush Boko-Haram terrorism in Nigeria is marred in controversy with claims of defeat by the government and renewed activities of the Islamic terrorists resulting in killing , abduction of civilians especially young school girls and military casualties.

Mixed reactions have followed the government strategy of paying ransome to the terrorist group and the release of captured fighters from detention since the ideology is not defeated and their colleagues still very active in the bush fighting. Increased activities of this terrorist group fuels insecurity in the region and destroys government efforts to invest in growth policies in the region resulting to greater poverty.

It's impossible to make the necessary investments including 'human capital, business, infrastructure, agriculture, public services and education as the war ravages the region. Funds for development ends up funding war against terror, which is not what the people truly need. Nobody knows how long this will go on .

The government said the police and other security officials have been deployed to schools in Borno state to prevent re-occurrence while intensifying efforts to search and secure the release of the missing girls.

 Indeed, this is a national disaster, having to pay the costs of war from meagre national resources, "having painfully to repair the devastations war leaves behind, to fill up the measure of evils, load the country with a heavy national debt"-Jeffrey Sachs [The End Of Poverty; How We Can Make It Happen In Our Life Time].

The time to end this tragedy has come. The government needs to show leadership. The people need to know the truth.



Uche Okeke is a Social Entrepreneur.